In 23 years of operating U.S. Patent Services, we have served a lot of customers. Sometimes certain customers stand out in some unusual way. This is one of my favorite stories about a certain customer. It was back 1994. Col. Oliver North was in a very heated senate race in Virginia. At the time, it…Continue Reading »
In corporate surveys on hundreds of patent intensive companies by the Chicago based IP Performance Group, three patent milestones were identified as opportunities to recognize and reward inventors. These included: 1. Idea disclosure: upon submission of a new idea, via an idea disclosure form. 2. Patent filing: the idea is deemed to have commercial potential…Continue Reading »
I started U.S. Patent Services almost 24 years ago, believe it or not, because of a motorcycle accident. It is the result of a very strange series of events starting in 1986 with motorcycle accident that left me with a shattered pelvis. I was in mechanical engineering school at the time at Tulane University in…Continue Reading »
A few years ago we were approached by Harley Davidson for a very unusual project. I got a call from the custom paint division and they requested a meeting with me. I’m thinking “Great. We’re going to do patent plaques for Harley Davidson”. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, they wanted to create a “gas…Continue Reading »
We are strong believers in using creativity to recognize creativity. Creative people are by nature somewhat bored by the “typical”. They like things that stimulate them. This applies in the recognition of creative people as well. Try to find something that really grabs them. Something that they think is cool. Take Pixar Animation Studios, the…Continue Reading »
I’d like to tell you about the Edison Awards experience that we have had in recent years. We are a proud partner of The Edison Awards. The awards are celebrating their 25th anniversary of recognizing innovation, honoring innovators and defining excellence in the design, development and marketing of new products and services. The Edison Awards…Continue Reading »
Check out this levitating patent award we made for a customer who wanted something a little out of the ordinary to commemorate a patent.
Patent plaque we designed for Pixar. Check it out!
I am often asked where the artwork comes from for our collection of U.S. patent plaques. Why do we offer (4) primary styles that look different? What is that government building in the First Centennial style and Second Centennial Style patent plaques? The answer is that they come from the patents themselves. Every patent is issued…Continue Reading »
Why do people in creative positions like to be recognized? According to a survey by Kuczmarski & Associates, there are (4) key elements that recognition provides; Senior management exposure Career advancement Sense of pride and accomplishment Public acknowledgement and peer recognition. I’d like to talk today about the very first one, Senior management exposure. This…Continue Reading »